Container labels



June 4, 19.68 V J. J. BERETTA 3,386,2

CONTAINER LABEL5 Filed Oct. 19, 1965 INVENTOR. JOHN J; BERETTA ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,386,200 CONTAINER LABELS John J. Beretta, U.S. Naval Hospital, Great Lakes, Ill. 60088 Filed Oct. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 4%,162 1 Claim. (Cl. 40310) ABSTRAOT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to containers and in particular to drug dispensing containers such as are used in pharmacies and the like for filling prescriptions.

It is an unfortunate but well known fact that certain medicines or drugs dispensed by pharmacists are found to produce adverse reactions due, at times, to defective formulations or, perhaps, to a possible mislabeling of the container or bottle from which the drugs were dispensed. When this situation occurs, it is extremely important to be able to quickly identify the particular container from which the drugs were dispensed so as to avoid further difficulties.

Real problems in tracing and identifying the container arise when the dispensing has been performed, for example, at large hospitals or pharmacy, such as a large naval hospital which frequently fills 2,000 or more prescriptions each day. Because of these difficulties and also because of the emphasis which the Pure Food and Drug Administration has placed on policing these adverse drug reports, the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery of the Department of the Navy has required all of its ships and stations having medical or dental facilities to record on the prescription forms the name of the manufacturer of the drug and also the lot or control number. Such a procedure facilitates identification of the dispensing container since adverse drug reaction reports can be traced to the original prescription and the container quickly identified. Of course, this procedure is effective only in those dispensing operations where drugs are not dispensed in the manufacturers original container.

Although a procedure such as that initiated by the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery is a most desirable one, it nevertheless has presented operating difficulties due to the fact that the manufacturers name and log or control number must be specially typed or otherwise recorded on the prescription forms. In large naval hospitals for example the demand for prescriptions is so great there is a constant line-up during the day of individuals waiting for the drugs to be dispensed and, of course, any additional requirement, such as typing the identifying data on the original prescription form, interposes additional delay or requires additional personnel. Although the particular example used in the foregoing discussion has concerned itself principally with the problems of large naval hospitals, it readily will be appreciated that the same problems are present at other hospitals and pharmacies.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a means for materially facilitating the recording of drug container identifying data on the prescription forms.

Another closely related object is to substantially reduce 3,38$,20' Patented June 4, 1968 the time and effort required for so recording this identification data on the forms.

Other objects and their attendant advantages will be apparent in the ensuing detailed description.

The objects of the invention are simply and effectively achieved by having the manufacturers of the drugs provide containers bearing identifying letter and numeral indicia which project outwardly from the surface of the container so as to permit the data to be transferred by a printing process directly onto the prescription forms. As will be appreciated, the indicia must be in reverse or mirror-image order so as to permit the transfer which normally would be accomplished by an ink and stamp method.

The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates in perspective a drug dispensing bottle having embossed identifying indicia; and

FIG. 2 illustrates a tape also provided with the raised indicia.

It is believed that the concept of the present invention is so readily understandable as to require only a brief description. FIG. 1 shows a bottle 1 having a cap 2 and also having embossed on label 3 of the bottle indicia identifying the manufacturers name 4, as well as a lot or control number 6 which identifies the bulk source of the drugs from which the bottle has been filled. The label also identifies the name of the drug, although, insofar as the present invention is concerned, the drug name does not have to be in raised letters since this name also will be on the prescription form. The illustrated bottle, when filled, is delivered to the dispensing pharmacy and, when a physicians prescription is to be filled, the correct number of the drug is taken from the illustrated bottle and put into a smaller container which then is given to the patient.

It is at this point of the dispensing operation that the pharmacist is required to record on the physicians prescription form the manufacturers name and the lot or control number and, as stated, this requirement has been time-consuming. However, with the identifying data embossed on the bottle, it simply is necessary to apply ink and press the prescription form against the indicia to legi' ly transfer the indicia to the form. Preferably, the transfer would be made onto the blank back of the form so as not to obscure any of the instructions on its face. With a small amount of practice, the pharmacist should become quite adept at the transfer process and substantial time will be saved particularly in those large medical facilities which, as stated, may dispense over 2,000 separate drug prescriptions each day.

FIG. 2 represents another manner in which the required indicia may be carried by the bottle. In particular, FIG. 2 illustrates a tape having on one of its sides, an adhesive by means of which it may be secured to the bottle, while on its face side it carries in embossed letters and numbers manufacturers name and log or control number 9 and 11 respectively. This method of marking the bottle may be preferred by a manufacturer and by the user since it would reduce expense and also allow the label to be placed at a convenient location on the bottle. As will be appreciated it also would be permissible to place the identifying indicia on the bottle cap itself although this procedure might present difficulties if caps are interchanged.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claim the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for printing onto a drug prescription form data identifying the manufacturing source of the drug, said apparatus comprising:

a bottle-like container of sufficient size for holding a bulk supply of said drug, and a label having a smooth interior surface adhered to an external surface area of the container and an exterior surface, said label having letter and numeral indicia formed on and projecting outwardly of its exterior surface, and said indicia designating the manufacturing source of said drug and further being arranged in mirror image order, whereby ink can be applied to said indicia and the manufacturing source data provided by said indicia transferred by a stamping operation onto said prescription form, said label being proportioned to permit said transfer.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

W. I. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner. 

